Online shopping grows during first quarter

It appears more people are opting to shop online rather than make trips to the store in 2011, according to the latest comScore research. According to the study, ecommerce spending in the United States during the first quarter reached $38 billion, increasing 12 percent from the first quarter of 2010. The increased spending also represents the sixth consecutive quarter of growth and the second consecutive double-digit increase.

A major reason for the increase in online spending is high oil prices, making shopping from home less expensive than traveling to stores and shopping malls. Consumers are also taking full advantage of online retailers’ lower prices, nearly doubling the amount of money spent for offline retailers, said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. If oil prices decrease, the ecommerce market may slip a little, but online shopping has become a staple for U.S. consumers by offering convenience and competitive prices.

The categories that excelled the most during the quarter included video games, consoles and accessories, books and magazines, computers, consumer electronics and computer software. According to the report, the top categories each grew at least 13 percent in the quarter compared to 2010’s first quarter.

“Domestic retail ecommerce built on the success of a strong 2010 holiday season with another encouraging quarter here in the first three months of the year,” said Fulgoni.

As more people adopt smartphones, making online purchases through mobile devices is also becoming more prevalent. According to a study by eDigitalResearch and Portaltech, 28 percent of smartphone owners use their devices to find product information on a regular basis, while half of all owners have made at least one purchase through their device in the past nine months.

With oil prices continuing to be stubborn, it’s the perfect opportunity to hop on your computer or smartphone and start shopping at Newegg.com for all of your needs. If you are wary about upgrading to newer electronics, Newegg has a buy back program for your old devices.

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